Brush Strokes
by tath-chan
Summary: A collection of gen drabbles of various shapes, sizes, and characters.
1. Contradictions

_Okay, I'll just warn you now, this is utterly pointless. Maybe more pointless than "Simplicity," even. It snuck up on me while I was watching the Ikeda-ya episodes and demanded to be written. It was supposed to be quite a bit longer (and uhhh, deeper?), but alas. Ah well. It gave me an excuse to dig up my older PMK drabbles and make a little collection, anyway. :P_

_As always, no _BL _(slash, yaoi, shounen-ai, whatever you want to call it) is intended or implied in any of these._

**Disclaimer:** _No, this series does not belong to me, unfortunately. It is the property of its original creator(s), and I'm making no money off of this. (Darn!)_

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**Contradictions**

**(Word Count :: 200)**

To anyone who did not know him well, it would have been an odd sight: big, rough, loud Harada Sanosuke was bandaging his friend's hand with utmost quiet, gentleness and concentration. Shinpachi, however, had known Sano long enough not to be surprised by the seemingly uncharacteristic behavior. This is just as much like Sano as was the fit he'd thrown a few hours ago at the Ikeda-ya when he'd first caught sight of Shinpachi and Heisuke's wounds. Shinpachi smiled a little at the memory.

As if sensing his thoughts, Sano paused in his self-appointed work and looked up, Shinpachi's hand still clasped carefully within his own. It looked deceptively small, almost delicate in comparison with his far larger hands. "I meant every word back there, you know," he said. His normally booming voice was very low, rumbling. "If you guys ever get yourselves hurt again when I'm not around…" He did not need to finish the sentence.

Shinpachi chuckled, but Sano understood that he was not making light of the sentiment. "Aa," he said, meeting his friend's earnest gaze. "I know." He offered a smile that conveyed his gratitude far better than words.

Sano returned the gesture and quietly returned to his task.


	2. Stubborn

_This is ooooollllld. Like, TWO YEARS old. Written for the (now dead) LJ community, _**pmkurogane100** _for the theme "Greenery."_

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**Stubborn**

**(Word Count :: 100)**

Shinpachi has always admired bamboo. He admires its strength and surprising hardiness, the way it bends with the wind instead of snapping. And he admires its stubbornness, the way it persists in growing even when all odds seem against it.

Tetsunosuke-kun is rather like bamboo, Shinpachi reflects as he watches the boy chase Saizou across the yard. He looks like a little kid, but he has already proven that he's far tougher than one would think. Shinpachi has to admire the _chibi_'s resilience and courage.

Although...

"Saizou! Get back here, you stupid pig - _itte_, that hurts! _Temee_...!"

Shinpachi grins. Maybe he's just stubborn.


	3. Duty

_Another very, very old one. But just to change things up a bit, this one's rather angsty and contains no Shinpachi (shock, horror). D:_

_If you have not read PMK volume 2, be warned that there are _**SPOILERS**.

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**Duty**

Duty is a word Okita Souji knows well; the driving force behind the Shinsengumi. The lowest soldier in their ranks knows where his duty lies.

Sometimes Okita wonders if he knows where his own lies.

He followed Yamanami after his desertion. He brought him back; admittedly he had tried his best to reason with his friend before doing so, but in the end it didn't matter. He is unquestionably, if partially, responsible for the gentle Fukuchou's death.

Because duty demanded it, and he faithfully obeyed.

Why is it, then, that he feels, with terrible certainty, that he has done wrong?

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_I suppose I should warn you now that you should not expect regular updates from this one. As I said, these last two were old and the first one was kind of a fluke, so I probably won't be cranking these out very often without inspiration. However, you are more than welcome to poke me about it, especially if you've got an idea for me. Just don't give me a BL idea, please. This is purely genfic here. ;_


End file.
